Latest news with #abandonedbuildings
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Suspicious fires in Indiana County under investigation
A fire department in Indiana County is on the hunt for an arsonist. The Cherryhill Township Volunteer Fire Company has responded to four fires in the last 10 months, and each of them has been deemed suspicious. "All of them have been ruled arson," Cherryhill Township Fire Chief Jody Rainey said. The fires left a trail of destruction, and all the properties are within one mile of each other. But that is not all they have in common. "All abandoned buildings," one volunteer firefighter said. An aerial view shows the charred remnants of a building on the campus of the Eastern Orthodox Foundation — what's left after two fires. The first fire was last October, while the second was on July 18. "We are on the lookout for somebody that's an arsonist," the volunteer firefighter said. On Sunday morning, the department said the arsonists struck again, this time at Pike's Peak Nursery. And hours later, after midnight on Harmony Street, fierce flames shot out of another vacant property nearby. "Puts a lot of pressure on not only our fire company but our mutual aid fire companies," Rainey said. "We're there to protect property, but we're going to risk something, but we don't want to risk it over someone who's out there violating the law." Officials are asking anyone with information to come forward.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- CBS News
Denver city council approves increase in penalties for owners of abandoned properties
Denver City Councilman Paul Kashmann has served in his role for a decade and says complaints about neglected and abandoned buildings have consistently been an issue throughout that time. That prompted him to team up with his colleagues to make changes. Boarded up walls, garbage and graffiti are rarely a welcomed sight. "It really degrades quality of life in the community," said Kashmann. Yet hundreds of these abandoned buildings exist throughout Denver. "A neighborhood nuisance ranging from 'Gee, it just looks terrible,' to we had an abandoned bank on East Evans Avenue where a murder took place," Kashmann said. In an effort to hold the owners of these property accountable for issues, Kashmann and Councilwomen Jamie Torres and Amanda Sawyer co-sponsored an amendment to update the city's neglected and derelict buildings ordinance. "One of the first things that I put forward was a suggestion that we raised the fines applicable," he said. The update passed with unanimous support and increases fines for violations from $999 to up to $5,000 per day and also creates a service response fee of up to $5,000 per response by first responders when three or more calls for service occur within six months. "We've come up with a system that's going to put much more pressure on property owners to be good neighbors when we're not asking them to jump through hoops, just asking for them to be good neighbors," Kashmann Kashmann hopes this will also bring change to a problem property in his neighborhood. "I'm actually losing my patience on that particular property," said Kashmann. "The weeds are four feet high, and there's graffiti, and, you know, junk's piling up on the property. And it's not just me, every council member will tell you the same story about properties in their district." The new ordinance won't take effect until February, which gives the owners of roughly 300 of these properties in Denver to act. Meanwhile the councilman says he's already receiving thanks for work the city council has done to tackle the issue.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Cape Breton Regional Municipality to ask province for help with abandoned buildings after fire
The former Morrison School in Glace Bay, N.S., was destroyed by fire on July 10, 2025. Last Thursday's fire at the long-abandoned Morrison High School in Glace Bay, N.S., threatened homes in the nearby area. Residents, firefighters and elected officials said the thought the fire was bound to happen. 'These are becoming an issue in the community,' said councillor Gordon MacDonald of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM). On the Northside, which includes MacDonald's District 1, a number of fires have been set at the former North Sydney post office. MacDonald estimates it would cost about $1 million to get rid of the building. 'And they're left to cash-strapped municipalities like us who don't have the resources to be able to tear them down because we don't have the budget available for the high cost of doing it,' MacDonald said. A spokesperson for CBRM told CTV Atlantic that abandoned buildings will be a significant item on the agenda at Tuesday evening's council meeting and the municipality will likely ask the provincial government for help with the issue. 'I think the province should definitely sit down as part of negotiations with the CBRM and look at the issue', said Derek Mombourquette, interim leader of Nova Scotia's Liberal party and MLA for Sydney-Membertou. Mombourquette said CBRM's case might be unique because it has so many derelict buildings - roughly 400 of them. 'The sheer size of it compared to other municipalities around the province, I would argue it probably has a more significant case of this,' Mombourquette said. MacDonald says they also have to consider buildings that aren't empty yet but soon will be. 'We're going to have the North Sydney hospital - the Northside General Hospital - coming up,' he said. 'That's going to be abandoned in the near future, and people have to start planning what is the next step for a building like that?' Tuesday's council meeting begins at 6 p.m. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Malay Mail
06-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Urban explorers find beauty in China's abandoned buildings amid property crisis
SHANGHAI, July 6 — Xu Pengcheng looks over his shoulder and, after confirming the coast is clear, helps his crew of urban adventurers climb through the broken window of an abandoned building. Long popular in the West, urban exploration, or 'urbex' for short, sees city-dwelling thrill-seekers explore dilapidated, closed-off buildings and areas—often skirting the law in the process. And it is growing in popularity in China, where a years-long property sector crisis has left many cities dotted with empty buildings. Xu, a 29-year-old tech worker from the eastern city of Qingdao, has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers for his photos of rundown schools and vacant cinemas. 'When people see these images, they find them incredibly fresh and fascinating,' he told AFP. 'The realisation that so many abandoned buildings exist—and that they can photograph so beautifully—naturally captures attention.' AFP joined Xu and his comrades at a deserted hotel in the outskirts of Shanghai for a unique photoshoot. From the outside, the hotel looked like a prefabricated medieval castle. Once inside, it was clear the property had been abandoned for years. Searching through the rooms for good spots for striking photos, Xu and his friends came across remnants of the hotel's past—a mahjong table, laundry sheets and piles of dinner plates. Props from past photoshoots were scattered on the floor and on one ballroom wall, 'Long Live Chairman Mao' was written in spray paint. China's recent property market downturn has left many abandoned large-scale projects ready ground for urban explorers. 'I don't think you would find sites like this in Europe,' long-time explorer Brin Connal told AFP as he walked around an empty, abandoned building. 'In China, there's a lot of these places which are unfinished.' Really special One such unfinished megaproject in Shanghai, the Pentagon Mall, has become such a hotspot that explorers leave messages for each other on the walls of its top floor. 'I think this is something really special about Chinese urban exploration,' said Sean, a Shanghai resident who did not want to give his real name. 'There's a very strong sense of community and it's very, very welcoming.' Situated in Shanghai's Pudong district, the project came close to completion in 2009 but investment fell through. The giant concrete building now sits mostly in disrepair—broken tiles litter the ground and a large faded map of the uncompleted mall is barely visible under a thick layer of dust. Some rooms still have signs of life, with mattresses from squatters, discarded takeout and cigarette boxes and even laundry hanging outside. 'In places like Shanghai, people always find a way to make use of these buildings, even if they're not completely built and completely usable,' said Sean's exploration partner Nov, who also asked to go by a pseudonym. Model Mao Yi poses on the ground for Xu Pengcheng (not pictured) as he takes pictures of her in a room inside an abandoned hotel in Shanghai. — AFP pic Way too dangerous Chinese social media companies are less enthusiastic. Looking up abandoned buildings on Instagram-like Xiaohongshu, users are met with a message warning 'there are risks in this area, please pay attention to safety and comply with local policies and regulations'. Connal, originally from Britain, told AFP he understood the restrictions. 'Some of them are way too dangerous, and some of these abandoned locations were getting overwhelmed with people,' he said. The hobby also takes place in a legal grey area. Many urban explorers go by a simple mantra—taking nothing from the places they visit and leaving nothing behind. But the act of trespassing can come with fines in China, just as it does in the West. Xu also acknowledged the risks that come with urban exploration—from angry security guards to errant circuitry. 'Firstly, you might face the risk of trespassing illegally. Secondly, private properties may have security guards or be completely sealed off,' he told AFP. 'These locations often involve hazards like no electricity or lighting, structural damage, and injuries from construction materials like exposed nails.' But model Mao Yi said the hobby offered a respite from the drudgery of big city living. 'Living in these sprawling metropolises of steel and concrete, we've grown familiar with the routines of daily life,' she told AFP. — AFP
France 24
06-07-2025
- France 24
China's abandoned buildings draw urban explorers despite risks
Long popular in the West, urban exploration, or "urbex" for short, sees city-dwelling thrill-seekers explore dilapidated, closed-off buildings and areas -- often skirting the law in the process. And it is growing in popularity in China, where a years-long property sector crisis has left many cities dotted with empty buildings. Xu, a 29-year-old tech worker from the eastern city of Qingdao, has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers for his photos of rundown schools and vacant cinemas. "When people see these images, they find them incredibly fresh and fascinating," he told AFP. "The realisation that so many abandoned buildings exist -- and that they can photograph so beautifully -- naturally captures attention." AFP joined Xu and his comrades at a deserted hotel in the outskirts of Shanghai for a unique photoshoot. From the outside, the hotel looked like a prefabricated medieval castle. Once inside, it was clear the property had been abandoned for years. Searching through the rooms for good spots for striking photos, Xu and his friends came across remnants of the hotel's past -- a mahjong table, laundry sheets and piles of dinner plates. Props from past photoshoots were scattered on the floor and on one ballroom wall, "Long Live Chairman Mao" was written in spray paint. China's recent property market downturn has left many abandoned large-scale projects ready ground for urban explorers. "I don't think you would find sites like this in Europe," long-time explorer Brin Connal told AFP as he walked around an empty, abandoned building. "In China, there's a lot of these places which are unfinished." 'Really special' One such unfinished megaproject in Shanghai, the Pentagon Mall, has become such a hotspot that explorers leave messages for each other on the walls of its top floor. "I think this is something really special about Chinese urban exploration," said Sean, a Shanghai resident who did not want to give his real name. "There's a very strong sense of community and it's very, very welcoming." Situated in Shanghai's Pudong district, the project came close to completion in 2009 but investment fell through. The giant concrete building now sits mostly in disrepair -- broken tiles litter the ground and a large faded map of the uncompleted mall is barely visible under a thick layer of dust. Some rooms still have signs of life, with mattresses from squatters, discarded takeout and cigarette boxes and even laundry hanging outside. "In places like Shanghai, people always find a way to make use of these buildings, even if they're not completely built and completely usable," said Sean's exploration partner Nov, who also asked to go by a pseudonym. 'Way too dangerous' Chinese social media companies are less enthusiastic. Looking up abandoned buildings on Instagram-like Xiaohongshu, users are met with a message warning "there are risks in this area, please pay attention to safety and comply with local policies and regulations". Connal, originally from Britain, told AFP he understood the restrictions. "Some of them are way too dangerous, and some of these abandoned locations were getting overwhelmed with people," he said. The hobby also takes place in a legal grey area. Many urban explorers go by a simple mantra -- taking nothing from the places they visit and leaving nothing behind. But the act of trespassing can come with fines in China, just as it does in the West. Xu also acknowledged the risks that come with urban exploration -- from angry security guards to errant circuitry. "Firstly, you might face the risk of trespassing illegally. Secondly, private properties may have security guards or be completely sealed off," he told AFP. "These locations often involve hazards like no electricity or lighting, structural damage, and injuries from construction materials like exposed nails." But model Mao Yi said the hobby offered a respite from the drudgery of big city living. "Living in these sprawling metropolises of steel and concrete, we've grown familiar with the routines of daily life," she told AFP.
